Easily the most engaging writer of Western intellectual history in the English language, Will Durant breathes life into philosophers and their ideas. He is colorful, witty, and above all, informative. Beginning with Socrates and ending with American philosopher John Dewey, Durant summarizes the lives and influence of philosophy's greatest thinkers, painting them with humanity and adding a few of his own wise platitudes. Seventy-some years after its first printing, The Story of Philosophy still stands as one of the best of its kind.

Preface to the Second Edition

To the Reader

Introdt/ction: On the Uses of Philosophy

CHAPTER 1 PLATO

 Ⅰ. The Context of Plato

 Ⅱ. Socrates

 Ⅲ. The Preparation of Plato

 Ⅳ. The Ethical Problem

 Ⅴ. The Political Problem

 Ⅵ. The Psychological Problem

 Ⅶ. Psychological Solution

 Ⅷ The Political Solution

 Ⅸ. The Ethical Solution

 Ⅹ. Criticism

CHAPTER 2 ARISTOTLE AND GREEK SCIENCE

 Ⅰ. The Historical Background

 Ⅱ. The Work of Aristotle

 Ⅲ. The Foundation of Logic

 Ⅳ. The Organization of Science

1. Greek Science before Aristotle

2. Aristotle as a Naturalist'

3. The Foundation of Biology

 Ⅴ. Metaphysics and the Nature of God

 Ⅵ. Psychology and the Nature of Art

 Ⅶ. Ethics and the Nature .of Happiness

 Ⅷ. Politics

1. Communism and Conservatism

2. Marriage and Education

3. Democracy and Aristocracy

 Ⅸ. Criticism

 Ⅹ. Later Life and Death

CHAPTER 3 FRANCIS BACON

 Ⅰ. From Aristotle to the Renaissance

 Ⅱ. The Political Career of Francis Bacon

 Ⅲ. The Essays

 Ⅳ. The Great Reconstruction

1. The Advancement of Learning

2. The New Organon

3. The Utopia of Science

 Ⅴ. Criticism

 Ⅵ. Epilogue

CHAPTER 4 SPINOZA

 Ⅰ. Historical and Biographical

1. The Odyssey of the Jews

2. The Education of Spinoza

3. Excommunication i

4. Retirement and Death

 Ⅱ. The Treatise on Religion and the State

 Ⅲ. The Improvement of the Intellect

 Ⅳ. The Ethics

1. Nature and God

2. Matter and Mind

3. Intelligence and Morals

4. Religion and Immortality

 Ⅴ. The Political Treatise

 Ⅵ. The Influence of Spinoza

CHAPTER 5 VOLTAIRE AND THEFRENCH ENLIGHTENMENT

 Ⅰ. Paris: CEdipe

 Ⅱ. London: Letters on the English

 Ⅲ. Cirey: The Romances

 Ⅳ. Potsdam and Frederick

 Ⅴ. Les Delices: The Essay on Morals

 Ⅵ. Ferney: Candide

 Ⅶ. The Encyclopedia and the Philosophic Dictionary

 Ⅷ. Ecrasez l'Infame

 Ⅸ. Voltaire and Rousseau

 Ⅹ. Denouement

CHAPTER 6 IMMANUEL KANT ANDGERMAN IDEALISM

 Ⅰ. Roads to Kant

  1. From Voltaire to Kant

  2. From Locke to Kant

  3. From Rousseau to Kant

 Ⅱ. Kant Himself

 Ⅲ. The Critique of Pure Reason

  1. Transcendental Esthetic

  2. Transcendental Analytic

  3. Transcendental Dialectic

 Ⅳ. The Critique of Practical Reason

 Ⅴ. On Religion and Reason

 Ⅵ. On Politics and Eternal Peace

 Ⅶ. Criticism and Estimate

 Ⅷ. A Note on Hegel

CHAPTER 7 SCHOPENHAUER

 Ⅰ. The Age

 Ⅱ. The Man

 Ⅲ. The World as Idea

 Ⅳ. The World as Will

1. The Will to Live

2. The Will to Reproduce

 Ⅴ. The World as Evil

 Ⅵ. The Wisdom of Life

1. Philosophy

2. Genius

3. Art

4. Religion

 Ⅶ. The Wisdom of Death

 Ⅷ. Criticism

CHAPTER 8 HERBERT SPENCER

 Ⅰ. Comte and Darwin

 Ⅱ. The Development of Spencer

 Ⅲ. First Principles

1. The Unknowable

2. Evolution

 Ⅳ. Biology: The Evolution of Life

 Ⅴ. Psychology: The Evolution of Mind

 Ⅵ. Sociology: The Evolution of Society

 Ⅶ. Ethics: The Evolution of Morals

 Ⅷ. Criticism

  1. First Principles

  2. Biology and Psychology

  3. Sociology and Ethics

 Ⅸ. Conclusion

CHAPTER 9 FRIEDRICH NIETZSCHE

 Ⅰ. The Lineage of Nietzsche

 Ⅱ. Youth

 Ⅲ. Nietzsche and Wagner

 Ⅳ. The Song of Zarathustra

 Ⅴ. Hero-Morality

 Ⅵ. The Superman

 Ⅶ. Decadence

 Ⅷ. Aristocracy

 Ⅸ. Criticism

 Ⅹ. Finale

CHAPTER 10 CONTEMPORARY EUROPEANPHILOSOPHERS

 Ⅰ. Henri Bergson

  1. The Revolt Against Materialism

  2. Mind and Brain

  3. Creative Evolution

  4. Criticism

 Ⅱ. Benedetto Croce

  1. The Man

  2. The Philosophy of the Spirit

  3. What Is Beauty?

  4. Criticism

 Ⅲ. Bertrand Russell

1. The Logician

2. The Reformer

3. Epilogue

CHAPTER 11 CONTEMPORARY AMERICANPHILOSOPHERS

Introduction

 Ⅰ. George Santayana

1. Biographical

2. Scepticism and Animal Faith

3. Reason in Science

4. Reason in Religion

5. Reason in Society

6. Comment

 Ⅱ. William James

1. Personal

2. Pragmatism

3. Pluralism

4, Comment

 Ⅲ. John Dewey

1. Education

2. Instrumentalism

3. Science and Politics

Conclusion

Glossary

Index